Community Calendar News July 1, 2011

The Marathon Youth Club Football and Cheerleading Leagues are now being organized. Registration is open and forms are available at the Parks/Recreation Office in the Community Park.

Practice will start Monday, July 18 at 6 pm at Switlik School, and the league is open to children ages 6-14. Find the Marathon Youth Club Football on Facebook, or for more information, call the park office at (305) 743-6598 or Ted Violissi at (305) 896-1965.

Volunteers Needed

Independence Cay, our homeless shelter in Marathon, needs your help. We need house attendants on the weekends. There is very little to do other than be on site. The Executive Director will provide the necessary training. We are looking for volunteers to sign up for one of three 4-hour shifts (9 am -1 pm, 1-5 pm and 5-10 pm) on Saturdays and Sundays. You can read, watch TV, catch up on your correspondence…it is very quiet at the “Cay,” located at 1669 Overseas Hwy. in Marathon, MM 48 ocean side.

Meet at the Big Pine Plaza (MM 30), in front of the Key Deer Refuge Visitors Center beginning at 9 am. The group will view the new FKOHT kiosk and ride along the Old State Road to visit the No Name Key ferry terminal and other sites, while learning about some of the Keys’ pioneer families. The program concludes at the end of Key Deer Boulevard. Participants may then either ride back to the start on their own or join the group for lunch at the historic “No Name Pub.” The event is free; lunch is ‘on your own’ and optional.

Keys Federal Credit Union is offering free oil changes to Florida Keys residents! The event will take place on Friday, July 15 from 9 am to 5 pm at their Big Pine Key branch (29977 Overseas Hwy – MM30). Oil changes will be given on a first come first serve basis.

Call Renee at (305) 293-6532 with any questions.

Wednesday, July 20

Community Playground Forum

Parents interested in helping to bring some additional playground equipment to Sombrero Beach are invited to attend a community forum on July 20 at 5:30 pm at the Marathon Fire Station. Spearheading the effort is Sharon Silva who said that though the recently installed equipment is welcomed, there is a desire for playground equipment suitable for children under the age of 6. With support from the Marathon City Council as well as the Parks and Recreation department, the group is looking at a setup designed specifically for “continuous play” that is equipped with slides, monkey bars, bridges, balance beams and games like tic-tac-toe.

Thursday, July 21

Living Healthy Leader Training

Florida Keys AHEC in partnership with the Health Foundation of South Florida and the Healthy Aging Regional Collaborative is sponsoring a 4-Day Leader Training for the Living Healthy Program.

Living Healthy is a Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. It is a 6-week workshop developed by Stanford University for caretakers or for people who are living with chronic health conditions such as: arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, pain or COPD. Learn how to facilitate our informative, interactive programs. Participants in this training will also be eligible to take the crossover training for our Diabetes Program (a 2-day training to be scheduled in the fall).

This upcoming training covers a variety of topics that help set the course for a happier, healthier life. We explore activities such as stress and pain management, action planning, problem solving, healthy eating, physical activity, communication, relaxation, and much, much more. This is a great opportunity to learn health management through self-management. Join our Keys to Healthy Aging Project and become a Leader of these exciting and effective workshops.

This four-day training will take place at: Florida Keys Area Health Education Center, located at 5800 Overseas Hwy, Suite 38 in Marathon on Thursday and Friday, July 21 and 22 from 9 am to 4 pm and on Wednesday and Thursday, July 27 and 28 from 9 am – 4 pm. Seating is limited, pre-registration is suggested. Call Jeanne Somma, RN, Florida Keys AHEC (305) 743-7111 ext. 208.

Sunday, September 25

Curry Hammock Paddle-Pedal

Meet at Curry Hammock State Park’s kayak launch (MM 56, Oceanside) at 10 a.m. for a leisurely, four-mile paddle around Little Crawl and Deer Keys, with time out afterward for a short clean-up at a beach. At 1:30 p.m., the “pedal” will begin at the Nature Trail parking area, across U.S. 1 from the park entrance (MM 54, Bayside), for an eight-mile trip along the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail. Join the “paddle,” the “pedal” or both! Bring a life jacket and/or bike helmet for the ride and/or paddle, as well as sun protection. Water and a water bottle will be provided. If attending both events, please bring a lunch.